Untold Love
by DanceDanceKakashi
Summary: 14 years have passed, Naruto is now the Hokage and the task of telling Konoha's untold love story of two missing-nins falls onto him. [KakaIru]
1. Hokage

My friend *hates* KakaIru, citing that they would have nothing to would suggest their relationship as other than fellow ninjas. So... this is my attempt at KakaIru... that's hopefully less OOC.  
  
Happy Valentine's!!  
  
[ps. I need a Beta Reader....]  
  
~~~~~  
  
If one is lonely, one prefers discomfort. That was the truth Iruka and Kakashi had known only a little too well. Their love was real yet nonexistent; feelings that were not shared but locked away in the pit of your self being.  
  
Perhaps it was fate that drew them together but more than likely it was just pure coincidence. The two barely paid notice when they passed each other in the halls of Hokage's office. That had all changed when Kakashi became involved with Team 7 but more particularly: Naruto. The boy was loud, brash, and clumsy but he had heart. Sometimes, it seemed as if everything revolved around him. His actions spoke louder than words and he was no less inspiring than the best kages of the world. Naruto had a way of affecting the people around him. His strength was unboun-  
  
"Naruto!!!"  
  
The scream snapped Naruto back to reality. Naruto lifted his hat off and placed it next to him calmly before screaming, "Sakura!!!"  
  
"Ne.. Naruto, you're not supposed to brag about yourself!"  
  
"Sakura-chan! You show no respect."  
  
Sakura smiled and reached her hand up behind her head, "Sorry Naru- Hokage- sama." She could not stop smiling, it was strange. That's all it was. If there was one thing she could not fathom was the idea of Naruto as Hokage. He looked especially ridiculous in the getup.  
  
"Are you required to wear that?" Sakura pointed at the Hokage robes Naruto was dressed in.  
  
Naruto looked down around him. Was it that ugly?  
  
"Anyway, you're not supposed to brag about yourself. You're supposed to record down the events of the village for the library, not write an autobiography."  
  
"This is too hard. I'm not too good of a writer. I'm Hokage! Hokage!!"  
  
Sakura stared at the man in front of her. She still could not belive it, "Naruto, you have no modesty. What are you writing? Maybe I can help."  
  
"Konohagakure's untold love story."  
  
Konohagakure's untold love story? Sakura had only glanced at the last few lines of Naruto's notes and had no clue what he was referring to.  
  
"It's about Kakashi-sensei and Iruka-sensei."  
  
"Ka..kashi-sensei? Iruka-sensei? Love?" The two were missing-nins.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~ Yes, it's a bit short I know. But I have work early tomorrow and I wanted to get this out before Valentines. I have planned this to be continuous...  
  
Sleepy now. Please review. 


	2. A True Shinobi

Thank you for your reviews. I have this story *constantly* on my mind and it's driving me crazy!! So, heh. This is my quickest update ever.  
  
There may be spoilers but then again.. you can just think it's a part of the fic! ^-^  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Naruto slumped down in his chair and looked at the mountains of paperwork sitting on his desk. It was times like these where he tried his hardest to remember exactly why he wanted this position. "With great power comes great responsibility, with great responsibility comes a great amount of paperwork!" he shouted as he picked up his pen with renewed frevor and took it as a chance to practice his new jutsu: Paperwork no Jutsu! Upon gaining his prestigious title, Naruto was soon burdened with a heavy load of paperwork that was sure to follow after a long war. Luckily, he had a knack for developing what others had considered useless techniques.  
  
Sakura watched as Naruto seemingly evaporated into thin air. Had it not been for the papers flying around from the same spot, she would not have known Naruto was still in the room. She continued to watch as the flurry of papers magically filed themselves into neat little stacks.  
  
"Ha! Who said my useless techniques were worthless!" Naurto jumped onto the table and shouted in triumph.  
  
Sakura tried to stifle a laugh when she noticed the paper-cuts all over his hands and face. "Did you finish your recordings just now?" she asked motioning to the neatly stacked papers.  
  
Naruto laughed meekly, "Ehhh... I'm not sure."  
  
Sakura's jaw dropped. Did he know what he was doing? "What do you mean not sure?!"  
  
"Well, let's just say I haven't had time to perfect my jutsu. But you know what they say, practice makes perfect!"  
  
Before he had any time to rest, his assistant appeared to take away the finished work and new mountains of paperwork emerged magically on his desk. Naruto sighed, he didn't suppose he would get paid overtime would he? "Sakura, maybe you should come back another time."  
  
"But what about the.. eh... untold love story?" Sakura questioned. It was something that had always nagged her at the back of her head but since no one mentioned either Kakashi or Iruka, she felt uneasy about this whole situation. Missing-nins were soldiers that abandoned their village and thus were considered traitors. Of course they would eventually be hunted down and killed. Ultimately, only the news of their deaths would provide relief for the village, for it was only then that they were sure their secrets had vanished along with the bodies of the missing ninjas. Konoha had anxiously waited for any news of Kakashi or Iruka but nothing had ever surfaced. The villagers were torn; they didn't know whether to be scared that Konoha's secrets were at risk of being disclosed or relived that the two men were safe. Although no one knew the reasons behind their actions, many believed the two would not be a threat. If they were to betray Konoha, they would have left before, instead of after the war. Nonetheless, missing-nins were traitors and for fear of being singled out, no one in the village had mentioned those names ever since.  
  
"I'll work on it later."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
They were not friends but as fate would have it, they were bound to one another once Kakashi became Naruto's teacher. What would have been another day passing each other in the halls became a nod, a small gesture of recognition. Still, they were not friends yet.  
  
Their first conversation, if one could call it that was when Iruka protested the nominations of the nine Genins to compete in the Chuunin exam. It was natural for Iruka to be concerned over the welfare of his former students, so the Third allowed him to test them before proceeding with their nominations.  
  
Kakashi had been a little miffed at the outburst and the fact that Iruka did not have faith in his decision so he decided to confront him.  
  
Iruka had been preparing to test the children when he sensed someone behind him.  
  
"Do you really have that little faith in me."  
  
Iruka's body stiffened. There was something in Kakashi's voice he feared. The other man had never approached him, let alone speak an entire sentence. "That's not true," Iruka replied defensively.  
  
"They are no longer your students right now. They are my soldiers!" Kakashi stated bluntly.  
  
"Is that so?" Iruka trusted Kakashi's decision, but didn't want to have any doubts. He didn't want to feel like he was sending them prematurely to their graves.  
  
Kakashi watched as Iruka jumped out the window and vanished into the night. He reached into his pocket and took out his Come Come Paradise. Locating the dog-eared page, he resumed his reading and leapt out the window. He shrugged, at least Iruka was keeping them busy for now. It was time to catch up on some reading.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Kakashi was so absorbed in his book that he almost missed the figure in front of him.  
  
"They've all passed," Iruka admitted with defeat.  
  
Kakashi smiled, his judgment had never failed him. He wanted to rub it in but one look at Iruka and he couldn't do it. His shoulders were hunched and his face was contorted with what seemed to be anger. Perhaps Kakashi would need to teach him a lesson as well.  
  
"You shouldn't always play it so safe. If you don't take risks you'll never grow." Kakashi folded the corner of the page he was on and closed his book, "Why are you still teaching? It's nice and safe there at the Academy isn't it?"  
  
Iruka would never admit it but Kakashi was right. The Academy was safe; there was no risk of death teaching. He had become a ninja because he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his parents but he feared death. He knew how it felt to lose someone and did not want to inflict that kind of pain in anyone else, though he was sure nobody would miss him.  
  
Kakashi slid the book back into his pocket. Judging by Iruka's silence, he knew he had struck a nerve. It was rare to see a ninja so worried about life. Shinobi were soldiers and soldiers die. Iruka had a naive charm about him. It was a nice change from the attitudes of the shinobi he worked with but it was unrealistic. In the end, he would only suffer more.  
  
"You've never been a true shinobi." With that said, Kakashi was gone.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Please let me know if there are any grammatical errors & whatnot. I have no beta-reader so please bear with me.  
  
Reviews? 


	3. My Ninja Way

Thank you for the reviews! I'm glad you come back and continue to read!! It's very encouraging ne....  
  
Arigatou.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Iruka reached behind his head and untied his hitae-ate headband and placed it on the sink. He stood in front of the mirror and took a good look at himself. There was nothing extraordinary about him. Even if you knew him you would miss him since he would blend in with the people in the background. His ponytail was beginning to droop from the shower's steam. Iruka yanked the rubber band out of his hair and threw it onto the floor letting his hair fall around his face. You've never been a true shinobi. Kakashi's words echoed through his head. It was an insult he had taken to heart. Being a shinobi was the only thing he had and the only life he knew.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hn?"  
  
"I was just wondering..." Naruto paused, took another mouthful of ramen and said, "what's a true shinobi?"  
  
"Someone who will protect the lives of others even if it costs them their own."  
  
"It's not as simple as that..." Naruto trailed off as he dropped his chopsticks and picked up his bowl.  
  
Iruka placed his chopsticks down and turned to look at Naruto who was busy slurping down the remaining contents of his bowl. Iruka smiled; Naruto was growing up before his very own eyes. The thing he cherished most about his job was seeing the innocence and youth in the eyes of his pupils. Maybe Kakashi saw something in the children he had failed to see. He thought by sheltering them, he was protecting them but in reality, he was only trying to hold onto something that wasn't his. Iruka had not wanted to see the innocence stripped from Naruto's eyes.  
  
Naruto smiled at Iruka and pleaded his case, "One more bowl?"  
  
Iruka laughed. There were some things that never change. Although he could see the fading innocence in the Naruto's eyes, the joy of seeing him grow was something of a surprise that washed away any doubts of Kakashi's as a competent teacher.  
  
"Iruka-sensei, do you believe a shinobi's only purpose to fulfill is to become a weapon for your country?"  
  
Whatever had happened during their mission to Wave Country, it seemed to have changed Naruto more than any schooling Iruka could have given him. He reached over and tousled Naruto's hair, "Yes but you should find your own way of being a shinobi."  
  
* * *  
  
Iruka himself had not find his own way of being a shinobi. How easy it was to give advice to others and yet how difficult it is to follow that very same piece of advice. Kakashi's words had taken its toll on him. Had it been anyone else, he knew he would not feel this way but Kakashi was one of Konoha's best shinobi and who else better to judge than him? The words were nudging him deeper in self doubt.  
  
Iruka felt the warm water cover his head as he slid into the wash basin. Perhaps he would drown there and it would be over.  
  
* * *  
  
"Iruka-sensei!!" Naruto shouted, "Thanks for the ramen and thanks for answering my question! You're a much better teacher than Kakashi!" With that, the boy ran off.  
  
* * *  
  
Iruka re-emerged from the water as he remembered the last thing Naruto had said during their conversation together. He now knew what his way of being a shinobi was. Sure, the academy was safe and it protected him but he enjoyed it for far more than just that. The atmosphere gave him a sense of hope for the future. Kakashi was wrong. There isn't just one way to be a true shinbi. Besides, who was he to measure another man's courage.?  
  
* * *  
  
"Sasuke!" Naruto screamed making the other man cringe.  
  
Sasuke bowed, "Hokage-sama."  
  
Naruto chuckled to himself. Paperwork and all diplomatic duties aside, that was what being Hokage was all about. Hearing those words come out of Sasuke's mouth was priceless. Naruto began to think of all other possible ways his position could give him power over Sasuke.  
  
Sasuke coughed, "Hey. Snap out of it baka." Sasuke watched the lines on Naruto's face scrunch up into a frown. Hokage or not, there was no way he would let Naruto get the upper hand.  
  
"You're rude." Naruto made a face and turned away.  
  
"Anyway, I finished the mission and here's the report." Sasuke handed him the file and was at the door when he suddenly stopped, "Oh, and here's something you might find interesting."  
  
Naruto caught the book Sasuke had just tossed him. It was one of Kakashi's Come Come Paradise books. Naruto grinned; so that's what Sasuke been doing on his missions.  
  
Sasuke knew Naruto was a pervert like Jaraiya-sama, but he didn't have to look so obvious. "Baka. Look inside the cover."  
  
Naruto pulled the cover back slowly and peered inside, "There's nothing here!!!"  
  
Sasuke exhaled slowly and counted backwards from ten. No one ever said the Hokage had to be the brightest, just the strongest. "In the corner and look at the date."  
  
Naruto squinted and looked more carefully. The publish date of the book was recent, perhaps only a month ago and in the corner in small letters read: Property of Hatake Kakashi - if I see you with this - hell hath no fury like a man without his porn.  
  
"Where did you get this?!"  
  
"Hidden Cloud Village."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ha Ha! Tricked you into a short chapter! I have more I'm writing but.. it didn't seem to belong in the same chapter so once I get that all typed out, you'll get an update!  
  
Oh, and since people don't really read my comments at the beginning of the fics.. I've decided to post them here.  
  
Ah, I've come up with this whole story about Kakashi's past and I wasn't sure if I should put that in this fic or if I should just create a separate story and make this an arc? This is technically supposed to be KakaIru and I thought maybe I shouldn't go off on tangents. Then again, it does give more depth to Kakashi and explains some of his personality. So what do you guys think? Create another story or just plop it here?  
  
Will update soon! [work sucks]. 


	4. Taking Sides

Thanks for the help!  
  
I have thought about this whole, 'it's Naruto writing this' and well, he would have *no* reason to know all that he's already written. Hmm.. that does give me an idea for the ending though.... Either way.. I must ask you all to suspend disbelief and not think too much about it ne.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Naruto rubbed his eyes. He had been working for more than 48 hours straight and it was beginning to take its toll on his body. He got up to stretch but decided against it and continued writing,  
  
* * *  
  
Iruka walked slowly along the street, stopping every so often to give a polite bow or wave to the villagers. How simple life was for them he thought. They went about their day as usual without having to worry or fear for the lives of others. Iruka stopped in front of the hospital. Sasuke had been injured during the preliminaries of the final part of the chuunin exam. Iruka felt an uneasiness swelling from the pit of his stomach. Sasuke was the number one rookie of his class and if he had landed himself here, who was to say that the other genins would fare any better? Iruka closed his eyes and whispered, "Naruto, please be careful."  
  
* * *  
  
Iruka found himself traveling down the same road again. He was glad the chuunin exams were over and that the villagers were too busy chatting and whispering among themselves to bother him. He stopped in front of the hospital. Sasuke's condition had not gotten any better. Iruka stopped by the reception desk and offered a greeting to the nurses before turning the corner to take the stairs. Iruka found his way to Sasuke's room and nodded to the Anbu guards before he was let inside. The young boy was still hooked up with the respirator but other than the fact that he was lying there with tubes in his body, he looked in perfect health. No bruises or scratches of any sort. Iruka pulled over a chair and took a seat beside Sasuke's bed. He was glad most of the genins were able to pass onto the next stage without sufficient injuries but Sasuke's infliction worried him. The only other genin in the hospital was Lee and almost everyone in town had heard the news of Sand's untouchable ninja, yet he heard nothing of the ninja Sasuke had fought with. The other quite obvious fact was the Anbu members guarding the door. The thought was disconcerting. The pieces of information he had just didn't fit together. Iruka didn't have time to process his thoughts when he heard shouting coming from downstairs.  
  
He made his way down the stair swiftly. It it was trouble, he should not be haste in his actions. He stopped when he heard Kakashi's voice.  
  
"Naruto. Be quiet in the hospital." Kakashi lectured.  
  
"Hey I have a request!"  
  
"No need to tell me. I already know what you're gong to ask. I found someone else who will look after your training."  
  
"Why?! I want you Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto screamed in defiance.  
  
"I don't have time to look after you. I've got some business to take care of, so-"  
  
There was a small pause until Naruto erupted, "I know! You're planning to train Sasuke!!!!"  
  
"Now don't say that... I've found you a teacher that's more reliable than me." Kakashi said.  
  
"Who? Who?" The boy asked anxiously. Naruto was eager to know whom Kakashi would consider a better teacher than himself.  
  
"It's me." Said another voice.  
  
"Oh! You're... the closet pervert!!!"  
  
"Ebisu-sensei's a.... closet pervert?" Kakashi questioned lifelessly.  
  
Iruka shook his head. That was the same old Naruto. He turned around and proceeded to walk back upstairs when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He had not detected the other person's presence so it must have been someone skilled in the art of silent kills he accessed. Iruka turned around to face Kakashi.  
  
"Iruka. Sasuke needs his rest. You should come back another day." Kakashi stated.  
  
Iruka did not like being told what to do, especially when it came from someone who had no concerns for the feelings of others. Kakashi had been rude to him and rude to Naruto. Rudeness was something he could not tolerate.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"He just needs to rest."  
  
"Do you think you can save him?"  
  
Kakashi leaned against the banister. "Mmm? Sasuke?" he asked, playing dumb.  
  
Iruka didn't bother to answer. Another thing he hated was people who answered questions with even more questions. "Naruto needs your help too."  
  
Kakashi shrugged and waved his hand in Iruka's direction, "You're not his mother Iruka."  
  
Ignoring his comment, Iruka continued, "Sasuke isn't the only one with problems. Naruto has had it bad too."  
  
"Who do you think has had it worse? Someone who's been alone all his life or someone that has had all joys, comfort and security of a family violently taken away? Someone who has been ignored and has gone unnoticed or someone who has to live with the fact that he must carry the weight and the honor of his entire clan and live up to the entire village's expectations? Who do you think has had it bad now?" Kakashi asked more angrily than Iruka and possibly anyone had ever seen him.  
  
Iruka had never given Sasuke's situation too much thought. The boy was the perfect student; he never caused trouble, he completed assignments on time and was admired by everyone. Naruto on the other hand needed his attention.  
  
Kakashi was getting tired of this conversation. "Ja." He waved goodbye and disappeared.  
  
Iruka stared at the spot Kakashi had been standing in. He hated it when he was wrong.  
  
* * *  
  
Naruto threw down the pen and climbed on top of the paperwork on his desk and made his bed. He was too tired to continue on. His brain did not contain the vocabulary he needed to finish on with the story. He would need a dictionary tomorrow night. Being used to reading before bed, Naruto grabbed whatever was closest to him.  
  
Naruto grinned. Kakashi-sensei to the rescue again. He began to flip through the book when a piece of paper flew out and landed on his face. He placed the book down and took a look at the paper.  
  
It was a picture of Iruka when he was younger.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ehhhh.. same excuse as last time! I'm a bit of a stickler when it comes to chapters.. I like to separate things more.. clearly... rather than sticking them all in one chapter. Either way, next chapter should be up soon. [Hopefully] Please review and let me know your opinions.. ideas.. etc.  
  
Thanks again for the advice. Will soon branch off on a Kakashi fic. [Hopefully].  
  
Reviews? 


	5. Without his Mask

Oi, I know that previous chapter was... short. Maybe I should have stuck it with the third chapter.  
  
Anyway, on with the fic. [Arggh, I think I'm getting carpal tunnel].  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The battle with the Sand and Sound villages proved to one of the worst battles Konoha had hosted. The village's sense of security and their ignorance to the problems outside their country was one of their greatest weaknesses. They had underestimated their enemies. The innumerable amount of lives that were lost was proof of that. The funeral for the Third had commenced and since he never had the chance to choose a successor, the task was handed down to the village elders. Bets were being made and rumors were running rampant.  
  
Iruka stood on the platform looking up at the Hokage Monument. He tried to stop himself from shedding tears but it was just too hard. As a shinobi, you knew the risks at stake and that at any second's notice you would receive news that any one of your comrades had taken a fall. Death can be so easy it was surprsing. It was a hard life to live but it was the one he chose. He took one last look at the faces on the monument and vowed to keep his promise to the Third to protect Konoha and those he loved.  
  
Iruka was hoping to run into Naruto at Ichiraku Ramen but when he got there, he saw the owners boarding up their shop. He was about to question them but they beat him to the punch, "Iruka-san! Where's Naruto-kun? It's been so slow without him. Nothing happened to the boy right? Business has been dead! You wouldn't believe how many customers he brings along with him. Without him, we'd he out of business!"  
  
Iruka was dumbfounded. Naruto was gone?  
  
"Iruka-san!"  
  
Iruka turned around to see a fellow chuunin run up to him. "Have you heard the news? Itachi attacked Kakashi and they think he's after Naruto!"  
  
He looked at the other man quizzically and raised an eyebrow. Everything he heard passing among the village had been nothing more than rumors but at the mention of Naruto's name he ran as quickly as possible to Kakashi's place. He needed the truth from the man himself.  
  
* * *  
  
"Gai-san!" Iruka screamed when he saw the jounin fly out of Kakashi's window.  
  
Gai landed in front of Iruka without any sound, "Iruka! Good timing of you! Ah, youth is in full bloom and you can smell it  
  
Gai landed in front of Iruka without a sound, "Iruka! Good timing of you! It must be your adolescence.  
  
"Iruka! Good timing of you! Ah! Youth, what a beautiful sight it is! How eager you look to learn new things!"  
  
Iruka stared at him blankly. What on earth did that mean? Youth? He was only younger by a few years.  
  
* * *  
  
"Having trouble Hokage-sama?"  
  
Naruto tensed up. He did not sense the person in the room until he had spoken. Being holed up in his office was definitely a disadvantage. He was losing his touch, "Stupid paperwork."  
  
Lee popped up in front of Naruto and gave him his biggest smile. "You must convey Gai-sensei's flair, finesse, brilliance and intellect properly!" Lee said with his eyes tearing and fists in the air.  
  
Naruto handed his pen over to Lee in defeat, "You do it." He had spent the last several nights trying to convey Gai's flair but he couldn't capture the 'essence of Gai' as Lee had put it. Every time he thought back on how Gai spoke, he would break down in tears. The man was just too funny. It was hard to recreate moments like that.  
  
Lee nodded and proceeded to do his sensei proud.  
  
* * * "Dynamic exit!"  
  
"Gai-san!" Iruka screamed when he saw the beautiful green beast of Konoha fly out of his eternal-rival Kakashi's window.  
  
The skilled shinobi landed in front of Iruka without a sound displaying his immense skills, "Iruka! Good timing! It must be the vibrance and the color of your youth that brings you here! You must have deduced our dire situation! Ah.. youth and it's glory."  
  
Iruka nodded eagerly in the presence of such a noble man.  
  
"My expertise is needed elsewhere right now. Please keep an eye on Kakashi until I return! He is a genius and I am sure he will survive to see yet another battle with yours truly." Gai said before flashing his megawatt smile and vanished as silently as he had appeared.  
  
* * *  
  
Naruto read over Lee's paragraph. He was speechless. He didn't know whether to laugh or be relieved Gai's part was done. He managed to give Lee a lopsided smile and thanked him for his help. "Was there anything you needed?"  
  
"Gai-sensei sent me here to make sure his magnificence was adequately portrayed." Lee made another one of pose before he vanished in a puff of smoke. Naruto wondered how he managed to come up with different poses each time they met.  
  
Naruto reached under his robes to pull on the body suit he was wearing. Damn thing was always riding up! Jaraiya had called it a fashion faus pax and refused to be seen in public with him if he were to wear it but now that he was Hokage, the robes concealed everything. He chuckled to himself. The body suit Gai touted as the 'ultimate streamed-lined, form fitting, easily-accessible, perfectly-made body suit ' really did wonders for him and just as Gai promised, he never looked back.  
  
* * *  
  
Iruka reached for the doorknob but stopped himself and decided he should knock first before entering. He knocked on the door softly and upon hearing no response, he let himself in. The apartment was small but impeccably well- kept, though the fact that he had such few belongings may have contributed to it. Iruka walked towards the bed to check up on Kakashi but did a double take when he noticed the matching shuriken comforter and rug. It caught him of guard. Kakashi had always seemed the cold silent type but as he stood there staring at the comforter, those assumptions dissipated. Maybe he had him pegged all wrong.  
  
Iruka was hoping Kakashi would wake up soon so that he would be able to ask him about Naruto's whereabout. He had also promised Gai he would keep an eye on Kakashi until he returned but what was he supposed to do in the time being? He took a quick look around the room before spotting the large bookcase on the right side of the bed. Iruka crouched down until he was eye level with the sleeping figure. The last thing he wanted to have was Kakashi waking up to find him peeking at his Come Come Paradise collection. He was about to get up when an arm came out of nowhere and knocked him onto the floor. Kakashi preformed a self defense jutsu in his sleep? Iruka scrambled to his feet and noticed that Kakashi was tossing and turning in bed; his blankets entwined between his limbs.  
  
"What.....have I done......Obito-kun... Father... why... why... how stupid of me...don't go... please....."  
  
Kakashi was mumbling something incomprehensible. What kind of nightmares could Kakashi be reliving, Iruka thought. Gai mentioned something about Kakashi being under some jutsu but what kind of pain could Itachi be inflicting on his victim long after their battle? Iruka flinched when Kakashi let out a blood-curling scream unexpectedly. Kakashi sat up abruptly and tore off his mask, gasping for air. He pulled up his knee and rested his elbow on it, letting his hand run through his hair. "These wounds don't seem to heal." He muttered to himself.  
  
Iruka stood there hoping to go unnoticed but Kakashi's gaze eventually landed on him. He was too stunned to say a word. Iruka hadn't noticed the scar when Kakashi was sleeping but now that his gaze was on him he felt a chill go down his spine. He never imagined he would someday face the Sharingan eye. Iruka continued to stare; Kakashi appeared more vulnerable without his mask. Iruka looked more carefully, no, it wasn't the mask, there were tears in his eyes.  
  
* * *  
  
Naruto reached up with his arms tilting the chair back as he stretched. It was time he called it a night. Besides, he had forgotten what happened next. Maybe sleep would help clear up his foggy memory. The grabbed his hat and proceeded to the door when he paused, took a step back and shoved Kakashi's book inside his robes. Perhaps he had caught some of Kakashi- sensei's bad habits he thought.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Woo Hoo! I managed to write more this time!  
  
Iceheart19: It wasn't about measuring one person's pain to another's but ehhh.. it's hard to explain. Hopefully you will know why I included that in the chapter when I'm done with this fic. Thank you for the comments! It really got me to think ne.  
  
Anyway, thank you to all the reviewers! Without you guys, I would have already trashed this fic. Thanks for your continuing support! [Phhehhh... sounds like some cheesy acceptance speech]  
  
HAHA - please please let me know if there is anything wrong with the fic [ie; missing words, letters, misspellings, not matter how small or insignificant. Can't stand it when the story doesn't flow because of small mistakes.]  
  
Hmm.. will not be able to update *too* soon since I've got crappy meetings and presentations for work. [Yeah. real world sucks.. but it pays the bills and supports my obsessions!] 


	6. Unraveling

Sorry for the slow update. I can't seem to find a good way to start this chapter. It's taken me days just to write the first paragraph! I cannot emphasize how excruciating and agonizing it has been for me to write this chapter. So please, please review!  
  
Please note the asterisk * in certain areas. In case you do not know what it is referencing, please check the end of the chapter for an explanation. ~~~  
  
Iruka continued to stare at Kakashi, watching the man bring his hand up to his face, briefly touching the trail of tears. He felt uncomfortable watching something so intimate but the thought of leaving was a fleeting one; he had promised Gai he would stay until he returned and most of all, he still needed to ask about Naruto's whereabouts.  
  
"Are you ok?" Iruka managed to say.  
  
Kakashi returned his gaze to Iruka, he had sensed someone was there but Iruka was the last person he expected. He had been a bit harsh on Iruka on several occasions but Iruka had a way of taking it too personally. He shrugged it off, so maybe his teaching techniques didn't work for everyone. Perhaps he should try a different approach; he smiled at Iruka and gave a small nodd. Iruka was too stunned to say anything, there was a warmth in Kakashi's smile that surprised him. As he continued to stare, a thought dawned on him, not only had he seen Kakashi's sharingan but he was seeing him without his mask for the first time. Truth be told, there were probably far fewer people that had seen him without his mask than the latter. The man was beautiful, no other words could describe it.  
  
"I'm ok." Kakashi said, interrupting Iruka's thoughts. No sooner had the words come out of his mouth, Kakashi reached for his sharingan letting out a small gasp. The encounter with Itachi had taken its toll on his body. Not only had he had to relive his past mistakes but he had to deal with Itachi's constant and ongoing mental attacks. Kakashi fumbled around for his head protector when he hand landed on something soft. Iruka blushed when Kakashi began to feel around and quickly swatted his hand away. He found the the head protector nearby and shoved it in front of Kakashi. "K- Kakashi, about Naruto." Iruka stammered, a bit nervous all of a sudden.  
  
"He's with Jaraiya-sama."  
  
"Jaraiya....?" Iruka paused, the name sounded familiar but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. "The author of Icha Icha Paradise?!" Iruka yelped, pointing towards the bookcase for emphasis.  
  
"He's also one of the three legendary nins." Kakashi pushed himself off the bed and walked over to his bookcase, taking out a volume of the aforementioned books. "Iruka. You weren't going to ask my permission to look at them before, were you?" Kakashi said raising an eyebrow suggestively at the other man.  
  
"Who said I? I wasn't- those books are- I..."  
  
"Why do you think you landed on the floor in the first place?"  
  
"You!! That's-" Iruka stopped mid-sentence when he heard laughter. Once again, he found himself staring at Kakashi. He was laughing and there was sound coming out of his mouth but it just didn't seem right. Whatever he hid behind his usual mask, he hid something even deeper beneath the surface.  
  
"You... you're different. You remind me of Naruto."  
  
"Kakashi...why was Itachi here? Is it Sasuke?"  
  
Iruka deserved to know the truth but if Kakashi told him, he would just have to deal with Iruka's constant worrying and annoying questions. "He's after the Fourth's isan." Kakashi muttered. He just didn't have the heart to tell Iruka that Itachi was after Naruto but he didn't want to lie to him either.  
  
Whether or not they were aware of it, it was the beginning of something that both men could not prevent from happening. Fate however, only works on your side when you let it.  
  
* * *  
  
Naruto held the photo up and twirled it languorously between his fingers. Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei had been missing for a few years now but he never once lost hope that they would someday return. He flipped over the photo and re-read the description on the back, the words Iruka-chan was written on the back but the 'chan' part was crossed out. Next to it, the word 'kun' was crossed out and replaced but 'sama' written in big bold characters.  
  
* * *  
  
Shortly after Tsunade was established as the new and Fifth Hokage, she dispersed most of Konoha's ninjas on various missions hoping their commissions would be enough to rebuild the village. Kakashi had been given an A ranked mission assassination mission and with the academy temporarily closed, even Iruka was away on a mission. As fate would have it, both men ran into each other on their way to the Konoha. News had reached them that all of Konoha's ninjas were to return home at once.  
  
"What do you think this is all about?" Iruka pondered.  
  
"It's war now."  
  
"War?"  
  
Kakashi shrugged, "Something important must have happened."  
  
Iruka nodded but it still unnerved him.  
  
"I have a bad feeling about this." Kakashi said as they reached the surrounding wall around the city's limits.  
  
When the two reached the Hokage's office, all but a few ninjas were assembled and were quietly murmuring among themselves. The crowd hushed as Tsunade made her way towards her seat between the elders with Jaraiya following close behind. "The reason why I've asked you all to return immediately is because I have an official announcement. Today, is the beginning of the real war. Orochimaru's attack was just the tip of the iceberg. What information we have gathered is that Orochimaru is the least of our worries." Tsunade paused, signaling for Jaraiya to continue where she left off.  
  
"Akatsuki is an organization that consists of nine shinobi, Orochimaru being one that has already deflected. They are all considered to be S-class criminals and up until this point there has been very little activity. We have now confirmed that they are in fact after Naruto."  
  
The room erupted in outbursts. Iruka looked over at Kakashi accusingly and mouthed the words 'Liar'. Kakashi would have mouthed something in response but anything would have been lost in his mask so he just shook his head.  
  
"People, please settle down." Tsunade said exasperated. The Hokage title was more physically draining than she had expected. She now fully understood why it took the village's strongest ninja, what with all the paperwork involved. "We believe Akatsuki will lay low and observe him to better understand the Kyubi's powers. I have called you all back here to reassign new missions but I also have other news. On a sadder note, we will be holding a memorial service this afternoon for some of Konoha's fallen heroes."  
  
The room erupted in outbursts once again. Iruka looked over at Kakashi but the other man refused to look his way.  
  
"Hokage-sama, who has fallen in battle?"  
  
Tsunade frowned, "Akimichi Choji, Inuzuka Kiba, Genma*, Midou Hidehito."  
  
After the announcement, Iruka was crestfallen. Nothing could have prepared him for this; never did he expect his former students to die before him. Iruka thought back to the time they had graduated. He felt such a sense of pride and hope for the future of Konoha. In that class alone he had the brightest children of the village. As he watched each of them pass their final exams, he felt an overwhelming sense of pride but at the same time, he felt wary that they would eventually find the real world too harsh. He was wrong to think they would not be able to cope with the real world. The fact that Chouji and Kiba sacrificed themselves for the greater good of the village was proof enough that the children were learning what it truly meant to carry the will of fire*. They were ninjas now and they knew what responsibilities that it carried.  
  
* * *  
  
"Baka." Naruto muttered under his breath.  
  
"Nnn" Shikamaru grunted in agreement, his face emotionless.  
  
On her right, Naruto had his teeth clenched and his hands balled tightly into fists. She knew it took every ounce of strength and self restraint he could muster to hold his temper in. Sakura turned to look at Shikamaru; he stood there lifelessly staring straight ahead. His eyes were empty and glazed over, his arms hanging limply by his sides.  
  
The details of their mission were never disclosed but everyone had come to their own conclusions. It was well known that Choji and Kiba had sacrificed themselves in order for their team to complete their mission, but the whereabouts of Neji and Sasuke were unknown. Sakura felt nauseated. She couldn't help but think what if she had only succeeded in stopping Sasuke from leaving that night. Now she had the burden on guilt weigh heavily on her shoulders. Sakura felt someone place a hand on her shoulder, "Don't think for one moment that you could have prevented it. It's not your fault."  
  
"Kakashi-sensei..." Sakura turned around to look at Kakashi and was surprised to find they were face to face. He had bent over to give her a reassuring smile but there was something unsettling about it. She could not explain it but his smile was different.  
  
Iruka hoped he would find Naruto after the ceremony so that he may comfort him and inquire about their mission, but instead he spotted Kakashi inconspicuously slipping away from the crowd. Perhaps the man knew more than he let on. Iruka made sure there was enough distance between them as he followed Kakashi over the rooftops of Konoha, silently leaping from one building to the next. Iruka was more than a little concerned. Although most conversations between the shinobi revolved around Shikamaru's mission, there had been hushed whispers regarding Kakashi's return as well. It seemed he had lost it during his assassination mission. He was only required to find the target and take him out with discretion but Kakashi had left a bloody mess for the victim's family to find. Tsunade had informed Kakashi that although his condition had returned to normal, she did not yet know the long term effects of Itachi's jutsu. Iruka managed to follow Kakashi all the way to Konoha Hospital when he lost sight of him. He ran to the ledge and saw two ANBU members on guard. Iruka surveyed the other rooms and noticed there was only one room being guarded. He dropped down onto the streets silently and walked up the front steps; there was no way he could have gone around those ANBU guards.  
  
"Iruka-san! You must be here to visit Sasuke!" The head nurse greeted Iruka warmly, holding his hands between hers. "You're such a good person, always here visiting. Neji is also here if you would like visit him but his condition..." she trailed off, shaking her head sadly.  
  
"You! Stop right there." A voice called out.  
  
"Go! Room 801." The nurse whispered and winked at Iruka, "I'll keep him busy."  
  
Had it not been for Naruto and his constant trouble making that landed him here, he would have never made friends with the nurses. Iruka stopped in front of Sasuke's door and leaned in closer to hear Kakashi's voice.  
  
* * *  
  
Tsunade landed on the balcony railing and dismissed the ANBU members with a wave of her hand. Naruto arrived shortly after. The boy had asked to follow along when she made her rounds at the hospital but she knew he had an ulterior motive. He needed her to get past the ANBU guarding Sasuke's room. She agreed to it, curious as to what Naruto wanted with Sasuke. Naruto was about to walk in when Tsunade extended her arm and held him back, placing one finger over her lips. Naruto obeyed her orders kept quiet. Naruto inched closer to the opened door and peered inside the room. Kakashi was standing next to Sasuke's bed.  
  
"Sasuke..."  
  
Sasuke turned his head slowly toward his teacher, his face grimacing in pain, "Are they..."  
  
"I'm sorry Sasuke. I thought I could save you from going down the same path as I did. I've failed you. I will find you, Naruto and Sakura a better teacher."  
  
Naruto got up, ready to charge in but before he knew what happened, he was face down on the floor with Tsunade's foot firmly planted on his back. He gave up on struggling and turned his ear toward the door to get a better listen.  
  
"Who... Who was it?" Sasuke muttered.  
  
"Choji, Kiba and Neji still hasn't woken up."  
  
Sasuke looked away. He felt something tugging him on the inside. Kakashi took a seat by the foot of the bed, "I'll say this again, you'll only hurt and suffer more. Even if you are successful, all you'll be left with is emptiness. Trust me, I speak from experience."  
  
Sasuke remembered the time Kakashi had tied him to a tree and lectured him about using Chidori against Naruto. He also remembered how Kakashi was able to smile even as he revealed his loved ones had already been killed. Sasuke closed his eyes, "Who killed your loved ones?"  
  
"Most shinobi's hands are stained with blood, but mine," Kakashi raised his hands and stared at his opened palms before slowly closing them and placing them back in his pockets, "they're stained with innocent blood. And now, with Choji and Kiba's deaths, you will carry that same burden."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
*Genma: What's his full name??? *Will of Fire: It's the will of all shinobi to protect the village of Konoha, as told to Iruka but the Third.  
  
Sorry for ending it there, but I haven't really thought out the rest of the story and I'm trying really trying hard to write this. It's getting tough now. Please review! I hoping that they aren't OOC, so please let me know what you think of the way I've been writing the characters.  
  
Hehehe.. off to watch Full Metal... O_O.  
  
Arigatou! 


	7. The Silver Haired Jounin

Summary: Last chapter left you off with Sasuke in the hospital with Kakashi who was teaching his last lesson. Unbeknownst to them, Iruka was listening at the door but he's not the only one, Tsunade and Naruto just also happen to be there as well.  
  
* * *  
  
Naruto dragged his feet up the stairs; his day had been a long and tiresome one. He just wanted to fall into bed the moment he stepped inside but when he reached his door, something felt out of place. Naruto opened the door carefully but sensing no imminent threat, he decided that sleep took priority over investigating. Not bothering with the lights, Naruto removed his cloak and stripped off the jumpsuit before flinging his hat carelessly onto the floor. He quickly changed into pajamas and jumped into bed but was quickly surprised to find someone was already in it.  
  
"Naruto!!"  
  
Naruto didn't need to turn on the lights. He knew that voice anywhere, "Sasuke?" but why was he here? He thought.  
  
"Hnn." Sasuke muttered as he flicked on the lights.  
  
Naruto squinted from the sudden glare of the lights, "What are you doing here?"  
  
Sasuke looked away defeated, he didn't want to admit it but he had nowhere to turn to, "I need a place to stay."  
  
"You're breaking and entering!!!" Naruto screamed and dragged Sasuke off his bed.  
  
Sasuke exhaled loudly, this was more painful than any torture he could have imagined, "Please?"  
  
"Fine, fine, fine. Treat me to ramen then."  
  
"They're closed."  
  
"Tomorrow." Naruto walked over to the closet and dragged out a dusty futon for his unexpected visitor, "Here."  
  
Sasuke looked at the futon questioningly, the futon was yellow and was covered in dust, hair and anything and everything imaginable. He sighed, there was no other choice. Since he was away from Konoha most of the time on missions, he never bothered to get a place of his own. He never made many close friends back then so he only had Naruto and Sakura to impose on. There was no way he would intrude on Sakura. They had too much of a past.  
  
After laying the futon out and getting ready for bed, Sasuke turned off the lights. He scrunched his nose, there was an odd smell coming from the futon. "Umm... what's this smell?" Sasuke was answered with light snoring. The corners of his mouth quirked up against his will. Whenever he was around Naruto, he couldn't help but feel relaxed. He didn't want to admit it but through the many years together, through the many missions they went through, through all the crap they took from Kakashi, and most of all through the fighting they had formed a bond.  
  
A rustling noise came from the bed before Naruto's head appeared out from the side of the bed, "Ne... Sasuke?"  
  
"Mnn?"  
  
"Do you have any regrets?"  
  
Sasuke's body stiffened, he had a lot of regrets, "What are you getting at?"  
  
Naruto flopped back onto bed; perhaps he should have been a bit more specific. He threw off his covers and sat up to look at the window. It was a clear night with a full moon above, so it was easy to see the Hokage Monument from his apartment. They were in the middle of construction now so the last face was only starting to resemble him. "You remember how this all started?"  
  
"Baka, spill it."  
  
Naruto scrunched up his face, Sasuke knew him better than he thought, "Alright! Alright! I need your help!" Even though he couldn't see Sasuke he could feel Sasuke smirking in the dark.  
  
"Hnn."  
  
Naruto mumbled something to himself before proceeding to ask Sasuke what he needed to, "Eh, heheheh... I kind of forgot, what happened after you got out of the hospital?"  
  
* * *  
  
"They shouldn't have come after me then." Sasuke muttered underneath his breath.  
  
Naruto was stunned. He had known Sasuke to be rather cold but not like that. Tsunade released her foot and Naruto took it as his chance. He ran in, fists raised in the air, ready to teach Sasuke a lesson. Sasuke turned around to face him, just in time as Naruto's fist connected with his face but not without landing a blow himself. Blame it on youth and ignorance, but without giving it much thought both boys had begun to use their newly acquired jutsus: the rasengan and chidori. Luckily for them, responsible adults were nearby.  
  
Tsunade took this as her chance to intervene, "Ahem." She coughed.  
  
"Hokage-sama." Everyone replied in unison.  
  
"Kakashi-sensei, Iruka sensei: can you both please step outside for a minute," She headed for the door but before she reached it, she shot looks at Naruto and Sasuke, "I hope you two can control yourselves."  
  
"I have a mission for the two of you. Iruka, you're relieved from your duties at the academy."  
  
"Hokage-sama! That's-" Iruka protested.  
  
"Iruka, please listen to what I have to say first." Tsunade turned around and gripped the railing of the balcony over looking the town, "You both know the situation at hand. I need you both to watch over Sasuke and Naruto. This town needs them, now more than ever."  
  
Kakashi nodded, he knew she was right. The fate of Konoha was in the hands of the two boys. It seemed unfair that they would have such a weight on their shoulders at their age. Konoha would not be safe until Akastsuki was wiped out and with Itachi among their ranks, their only hope at defeating him would be Sasuke. No one really knew what power the Kyuubi possessed but if it was enough to have the world's most dangerous and possibly strongest shinobi after it then it was something they must guard with their life.  
  
"Isn't Jaraiya training Naruto?" Iruka asked.  
  
"Not anymore. He's gathering some information. We need to know more before we can implement any strategies." Tsunade smiled and placed her hand on Iruka's shoulder, "Besides, there isn't anyone Naruto trust more than you."  
  
"Shouldn't this be a mission for a jounin?"  
  
"Ah. About that..." she glanced at the other shinobi, "Kakashi- sensei, perhaps you should check up on the boys and make sure they haven't already killed each other?" She stared at Iruka for a moment before continuing, "Iruka; I looked over your records today..."  
  
"My records?"  
  
"Why haven't you nominated yourself for a promotion? You have done all the required field work and you've stayed at the academy much much longer than necessary."  
  
Iruka bit his lip he certainly wasn't expecting this today.  
  
"What's holding you back?"  
  
Iruka opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. How could he admit to the Hokage that he was afraid?  
  
"Just think about it." She walked towards the room but whispered in Iruka's ears, "Regardless, your mission now is to watch over Naruto and train him, please teach him to be a little more inconspicuous."  
  
Tsunade walked into the room to see quite a spectacle; Kakashi had Naruto pressed to the wall with his foot and had an outstretched arm holding Sasuke in bed.  
  
"Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, I think it's best you leave the patient alone so that I may continue his treatment."  
  
Kakashi released his hold on Naruto and Sasuke and proceeded towards the balcony with Naruto in tow, "We're leaving now."  
  
Iruka leapt off the balcony following Kakashi who still had a hold on Naruto. The boy squirmed and struggled to get free but gave up after a few minutes, "Iruka-sensei! I'm starving! How 'bout you treat me to some ramen." Iruka smiled at Naruto and invited Kakashi to come along seeing as to how he was still holding Naruto hostage.  
  
When the three were seated, Naruto leaned over to Iruka and whispered, "Sensei, watch this, watch this we'll finally get to see Kakashi-sensei's face! Last time, stupid Ino got in the way so we wasted our money and we didn't get to see his fish lips!"  
  
Iruka laughed loudly, "Fish lips?"  
  
"He must have fish lips! Or horse teeth, why else would he always wear that mask?"  
  
Iruka laughed so much he started tearing and pointed his finger towards Kakashi, "He's already finished. You missed it."  
  
"What?! So fast?"  
  
Kakashi looked over; confusion etched on his face, "Hn?"  
  
Iruka leaned over and whispered to Naruto, "He doesn't have fish lips or horse teeth."  
  
Naruto slumped over on the counter and began chewing slowly and mechanically. Kakashi stared at Naruto in amazement. How peaceful it could be if he would only shut up now and then. He snickered to himself when he noticed Iruka looking in his direction. Iruka had been wary that Naruto was plotting a way to see Kakashi's face and would ultimately suffer dire consequences at the hands of the other man; Kakashi's snickering only confirmed his suspicions.  
  
"Iruka, where did you get that scar?" Kakashi asked out of the blue.  
  
Startled by the sudden question, Iruka only managed to mumble, "Some stupid Jounin."  
  
"Mm?"  
  
"When I was in the main building, some kids had just received the news they made it as Jounins. Then out of the blue, I heard this loud voice saying something about 'Fight me! Something something, it's a tie!' The next thing I know, a shuriken is headed my way and well... I wasn't able to dodge it on time."  
  
Kakashi thought about it for a second, it all seemed a bit familiar. Then it hit him; Gai had challenged him to a rematch once they had received their Jounin titles. He had not wanted to fight but Gai had been extremely persistent and so he finally relented. They were careless to be fighting indoors but the halls seemed empty enough at the time. "Did you see who threw it?"  
  
Iruka shook his hand sadly, "No but if I find him one day..." Iruka trailed off, he realized he didn't know whether the attacker was male or female, "or her one day..."  
  
"So you don't have a clue as to who it is?"  
  
"I think..." He stopped, trying to recall the events that took place on that faithful day, "it was a silver haired Jounin."  
  
Up until this point, Naruto had merely slouching there listening to their conversation and devising up different schemes but he suddenly erupted, "It's Kakashi-sensei!"  
  
* * *  
  
Gomen Gomen. I know this took a while for me to get up but I have the story coming much futher along in my little notebook. Please review! The more I get the faster I write I've noticed.  
  
Also, I just wanted to thank a few of you who have always reviewed and continue to read this umm.. slow moving fic. -_- ;  
  
DarkDemonMaster, Distant Soul, Renn, RuByMoOn17, SasuSweet: Thanks for the reviews and support – the fic is for you guys! [and of course to anyone who reads and enjoys it but doesn't review!] 


	8. Iruka in Action

Kakashi watched the scene unfold in slow motion before his very own eyes. At Naruto's words, Iruka had become very still. "Silver haired Jounin, huh?" he muttered to himself.  
  
Kakashi felt a chill run down his spine when Iruka slowly turned his head to face him. Normally, the man had a smile for everyone but the look he had now was probably something only the worst o his students ever witnessed. "Kakashi-sensei..."  
  
Kakashi got off the stool and gradually inched away before disappearing behind a cloud of smoke. Iruka slammed some money down on the counter and disappeared just as Kakashi had.  
  
Naruto counted the money, "One more bowl please!"  
  
* * *  
  
"Kakashi! I'm scarred for life because of you!" Iruka screamed at the top of lungs. "And you owe me for the ramen!"  
  
Kakashi propped himself up against the tree panting heavily. Iruka had been relentless in his pursuit. It was going to be a long night; better make the most of it. He lied down on the branch he had been perching on; unless he began to snore it would be safe.  
  
The sunlight filtered through the leaves and woke Kakashi up. He stood up and stretched as he accessed the situation: it was only Iruka, whom he reasoned, he could have easily defeated since he was only a Chuunin, so why did he sleep in the trees last night? Kakashi dusted himself off and glanced at the sky; he would be able to squeeze in an hour or two of sleep but only if he didn't stop by the memorial.  
  
Iruka lost track of him but he finally found Kakashi standing in front of the memorial. He stood there motionless and slack facing the stone monument. For the longest time, Kakashi just stood there.  
  
Iruka fought the urge to doze off; being at the academy for so long, he wasn't used to such strenuous activities. It was probably best he began to train if he wanted that promotion but was that what he really wanted he thought to himself idly. Iruka had let his mind wander and quickly turned back to check on Kakashi. The man was still standing there, same stance, as before, he hadn't moved a muscle. Iruka leapt up into the trees and sprinted away. It wouldn't be right to attack now. He needed to come up with a new plan.  
  
* * * Kakashi was glad he was finally home. It had been a long night but an even longer day. Upon meeting up with his team minus Sasuke, he was bombarded with screams and accusations. Both children had heard from Konohamaru that Iruka would no longer be an academy teacher.  
  
Kakashi crawled through his window but instinctively reached for his kunai when he saw a sleeping figure on his bed. He smiled to himself; that would teach the intruder a lesson. The intruder gave a surprised scream as the kunai pierced through his back. Kakashi gasped when the person on the bed rolled over to face him. Iruka! He rushed towards the other man but before he even took a step, the figure vanished in a cloud of smoke and his pillow reappeared in the same spot, feathers flying all around. Kakashi stood motionless and scanned the room for any signs of movements. He was surprised to feel an arm circle around his chest and pull him in. Iruka leaned in and whispered in Kakashi's ear, "An eye for an eye, and a arm for a arm right?" He tightened his grip and raised his other hand to bring his kunai up to Kakashi's face.  
  
Kakashi raised his hands up signaling his defeat but as Iruka brought the kunai down away from his face, he bent over and threw Iruka down on the ground before straddling him and pulling out his own kunai. Kakashi smiled down at Iruka, "You've gotten better." He got off Iruka and extended his hand to help him up.  
  
Iruka brushed Kakashi's hand away before pushing himself off the ground, "Have I?"  
  
Kakashi stared at Iruka before he began to trace his finger lightly along the scar that ran across his nose, "I'm sorry."  
  
Iruka took a few steps back; Kakashi managed to surprise him to no end.  
  
Iruka walked calmly as he could toward the window, "Don't forget our mission."  
  
Kakashi nodded.  
  
* * *  
  
Iruka fell face first into his soft and welcoming bed. He didn't know what had gotten into him. Iruka flipped over and threw his arms out, he was used to the scar: it was something he was used to and it had become part of who he was. He reached up and rubbed the scar lightly, he could barely feel it. He turned on his side and buried his face in his blanket letting out all the air in his lungs. Being with Naruto had a way of riling him up. Iruka smiled to himself before nodding off, "This will be an interesting mission after all..."  
  
* * *  
  
"There." Sasuke said.  
  
Naruto smiled at him. Things have changed. He glanced down at timeline of events Sasuke had jotted down for him, "Where do you think they are now?"  
  
"Anywhere I suppose."  
  
"I wonder... if it was difficult to leave?"  
  
"Naruto?"  
  
"They swore to protect this village and yet they abandoned it. Was it that difficult for them to live in each other's presence? Why? I just don't get it!" Naruto shouted, alarming Sasuke with the sudden outburst. Writing out their story was by far harder than he would have imagined. He had lied to Sakura; this wasn't only for the town's records. What he wrote and how he recounted it would determine Kakashi-sensei and Iruka-sensei's fate. Missing-nins were considered traitors after all. He needed to be certain they left for the right reasons.  
  
"Naruto. It's hard to live with feelings that you cannot share." Sasuke said almost inaudibly.  
  
"Naruto-kun" Sakura shouted as she burst through the door. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Sasuke standing there. Sakura stared at Sasuke; he had a strange look on his face. "I'll come back another time."  
  
"Wait! Sakura-chan!"  
  
Sasuke watched as the two disappeared down the hall.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ah. I'm no good at writing fight scenes. -_-; Thank you for all the reviews! Ahhhh! This is getting hard. If I could, I would magically make them love one another... but I want to make it seem real.  
  
Is it me or is this slowly leaning towards a bigger picture rather than just KakaIru? Ack. Stop me now.  
  
Maybe I should write some fluff to get my mind off this.  
  
Also, any suggestions for the name of the chapter? 


	9. Sorry

Iruka surveyed the mess around him; scrolls scattered across the floor, vests strewn about, it looked like a tornado had swept through his home. He was about to give up when out of the corner of his eye; he spotted a small bronze chest sitting in the corner covered in a layer of dust. He had spent a good part of the day looking for the box of scrolls his father had kept hidden from him as a child, citing them as far too dangerous for someone his age. Protest as he may, even as a student at the ninja academy, his father still refused to entrust the information of the scrolls to him. The chest contained his most prized possessions his father once told him. Iruka held his breath as he unlatched the box. Nestled inside the velvet lining were two scrolls, one black and one white. He picked up the scrolls and placed them aside. What he found underneath them surprised him: a stash of old photos.  
  
Iruka stared at the photo on top. It was their last family portrait. He picked it up gingerly making sure his fingers didn't smudge anything. He smiled as he remembered the day they had taken it. It was a day like all others; his mother had returned home from her mission a few minutes before his father rushed through the door. He was excited about something and wanted to share it with them but he made sure they changed into their very best before heading out. Iruka had protested but despite that, his mother managed to wrangle him into a yukata similar to hers. His father led them up to the foot of the Hokage monument that overlooked the village and declared they would be taking a family portrait. When the sun went down and the skies were streaked in purple, pink, and orange his father said it reminded him of fire that enveloped and protected their village just like the will of fire the Konoha ninjas had.  
  
Iruka sifted through the photos, each of them eliciting a small twinge on sadness. He didn't remember why he had hidden the chest so well but now it came back to him.  
  
"Hmn." Kakashi cleared his throat, letting Iruka know of his presence. Ever since their last encounter, he was sure to be on his best behavior when around the other man. "Our mission starts tomorrow. Sasuke's already out of the hospital."  
  
"Mm. Ok." Iruka mumbled. He hurried to place the photos back into the chest before Kakashi could see them but neglected to notice one that slipped out.  
  
"Iruka?" Kakashi walked up behind Iruka just in time to see him shove something back into a box, "Are you ok?"  
  
"Would you like some tea?" Iruka replied, changing the subject. Before Kakashi could reply Iruka had gotten up and was already rummaging through the kitchen for tea, "Gyokuro tea ok?"  
  
Kakashi noticed the photograph on the floor and checked on Iruka to see him straightening up the kitchen before squatting down to take a closer look. It was a picture of Iruka. The photograph still looked new, no signs of yellowing with age, no signs of fading colors. Kakashi smiled, Iruka was probably five in the photo and was dressed in a ninja outfit way too big for him, and most probably his father's he thought to himself. Kakshi hastily slipped the photo in his vest when he heard Iruka's footsteps getting closer.  
  
"Sorry about the mess," Iruka said, smiling apologetically. He cleared away the junk on the table and settled the tray down. In one smooth action, he shoved all the clothes and scrolls on the sofa and pushed them onto the floor. He sat down, lifted a cup of warm tea and placed it in Kakashi's hands.  
  
"Thank you." Kakashi smiled, eyes curving upward. "You shouldn't apologize."  
  
"Oh but I mean it! It's, well, I guess it's not that but I feel bad." Iruka stumbled over his words, trying to explain himself.  
  
"But doesn't saying sorry for every little thing make your apologies meaningless?"  
  
Iruka opened and shut his mouth, he wanted to retort back but what Kakashi said was true, "Sorry, I can't help myself." After saying that, he got up to clean but was promptly pulled back down to sit.  
  
"No, I like it this way, to know that you're not perfect."  
  
Both men sat there drinking their tea, lapsing into silence. It was not an uncomfortable silence between two acquaintances but rather, a calm stillness shared only between two people that would entrust one another with their lives.*  
  
Kakashi placed his empty cup on the table and excused himself, "I'll see you tomorrow. At the bridge, at 6:00AM."  
  
"6:00 AM?? So does that mean I should get there at 9:00?" Iruka shouted as Kakashi disappeared into the night.  
  
* * *  
  
Iruka rubbed his eyes; he was up at the crack of dawn in case Kakashi really meant six o' clock. "Why, why on earth do I even give him a benefit of a doubt?" he questioned to himself as he took a look at his watch. It was close to nine. He wasn't sure what Kakashi had planned on telling his team so he couldn't very well show up until the other ninja arrived. Iruka hadn't noticed but he was already lying down on the tree branch in which he had made his hiding spot. Iruka yawned, turning to his side and shifting his position to get a better look at the children. Sasuke held onto the wooden railing with his hands, peering over the side to watch the water running beneath him. Sakura wasn't sure what to say to Sasuke but snuck concerned glances every now and then. Naruto sat on top of the railing, elbows on his knees and fists propped up against his chin. Occasionally, his head would drop to the side and he would be jerked away but he would return to the same position again. Watching Naruto made it all the more harder to stay awake. He had recently been riddled with insomnia trying to come up with an answer to Tsunade's question. What was holding him back? He closed his eyes, thinking perhaps he would find the answers in his dreams.  
  
"You're LATE!" Naruto shouted. Iruka jumped at the unexpected outburst and tried to cling on with the tree with all his chakra but to no avail, he landed on the bridge with a loud thud.  
  
"Iruka-sensei?" Naruto and Sakura exclaimed.  
  
"You're LATE!" Kakashi shouted pointing to the man on the ground.  
  
"You're one to talk!" Narutou retorted.  
  
Kakashi scratched his head, "I've always wanted to say that but somehow, I'm never the one that gets there first."  
  
Naruto had since scooted over to Iruka, "Ne, ne, what are you doing here? Spying in Kakashi-sensei and reporting what a lousy teacher he's been? Always late and playing cruel jokes on us?"  
  
Kakashi lifted Naruto up by his collar, "Cruel jokes?"  
  
Naruto held his hands together, ready to do his Kage-Bunshin no jutsu.  
  
"Naruto, I thought I taught you better than to waste your chakra like that." Iruka chided.  
  
Kakashi raised his eyebrow when Naruto unquestioningly released his hands, "You listen to him that easily?" He tossed him to the ground, "What a bad student."  
  
"Oy! That's because he doesn't throw me around like you!" Naruto stuck his tongue out and made a face at him. Turning to Iruka, he asked, "So are you going to report the abuse that goes on around here? Make sure they replace him with someone better!" Naruto paused, squinted and thought for a second, "Why don't you replace him?"  
  
Sasuke turned around for the first time and muttered something inaudible, "So Kakashi-sensei, you've found us a better teacher."  
  
"Na-ru-to..." Sakura whispered to him, "He's not a jounin, remember?"  
  
Iruka smiled at the children, "Oh, but I'm going to apply to become a jounin after this mission with you guys."  
  
"Yes! A mission!" Naruto jumped with joy.  
  
* * *  
  
Eh. Sorry for the slow updates. I write the same paragraphs over and over and agonize over the words I cannot come up with. I'll try to be faster with the updates! I promise! This fic seems to be getting a little too long but at least they're short chapters right??  
  
* Does this paragraph sound too corny? HAHA.. that's what I was thinking... but I kind of liked it. Comments?  
  
Thanks again for the reviews! Thank you thank you thank you! 


	10. Slowly Falling Apart

I thought to myself that I would update every two weeks but before I knew it a month had passed! Ah, but I did update – just not this fic. [shamless plug: The Reason XD].  
  
I had started writing but then stopped because I felt uninspired but then I finally figured out how I wanted to write the ending so now, without much further ado, the new chapter!

* * *

CHAPTER 10  
  
Sasuke watched Naruto chase after Sakura from the window, it almost seemed as if nothing had changed. He pressed his head against the windowpane and closed his eyes trying to block Naruto's voice from his head. He was really loud after all.  
  
- - -   
  
It was winter in hidden cloud village; the city was different since Kakashi had last been here. Beyond the mountain where they stood, they could see the village safely blanketed in snow.  
  
"What is it? What is it?" Naruto asked repeatedly, sounding like a broken record. It had been a while since they had a real mission and neither Kakashi nor Iruka had given them any details surrounding their leave.  
  
"Ah..." Kakashi looked at Iruka, "I'll let Iruka-sensei give you guys the details since he's joining us."  
  
Iruka's eyebrows shot up; he should have known Kakashi hadn't planned out what to say to his team. "Well..." He scowled at the other man, "I think it's better if it came from you. After all, you are their sensei."  
  
Kakashi declined politely, "No, be my guest. I mean, you read missions to us all the time but you've never have a chance to brief a team on it. Take this as experience for when you get your own little team of Genins."  
  
Iruka smiled through his gritted teeth, Kakashi wasn't giving up so easily. "Well... we, ah, are here to, we're assigned to find, to be more exact to retrieve Tsunade's lost pig."  
  
"Wha-?!" Naruto howled before Kakashi clamped his hand over the boy's mouth.  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."  
  
Naruto yanked Kakashi's hand away, "Why not?!"  
  
"Baka. We're standing on a snowy mountain. What do you think will happen." Sasuke muttered.  
  
Five heads turned when they heard rumbling and sure enough, snow was barreling down on them. Iruka and Kakashi reached for the children and hoped they would be able to escape in the nick of time but they were a second too late.  
  
Iruka brushed away the ice from his eyes and grimaced slightly at the feeling of it scraping against his skin. He scanned the area for the rest of his team but found only Naruto who currently seemed to be in the same situation as he was, both stuck halfway in the snow.  
  
Naruto grinned and patted the snow beside him, "I landed on a soft spot."  
  
"Gmmm ufff!!"  
  
"Wah! It talks!" Naruto yelped and struggled to free himself. What they found to be the soft spot was actually Sasuke and a very mad Sasuke at that. With a little help from Sasuke's Chidori and Naruto's Rasengan, enough snow had cleared away for Kakashi and Sakura to free themselves from their own snowy coffins.  
  
The five trudged towards town beleaguered and exhausted from their battle on the mountain. Mother Nature was a force not to be reckoned with. They continued on into town without ever noticing the figure in the distance watching them.  
  
- - -   
  
Kakashi fell back into bed, soft blankets and someplace dry was all he needed in life or at least at the moment.  
  
Iruka yanked him down to the floor beside him, "Your bed's on the floor Kakashi."  
  
Sakura smiled at them and crawled underneath the covers that Kakashi had just been on. "Thank you Iruka-sensei."  
  
"Hey..." Kakashi mumbled to himself, "Does she get special treatment just cause she's a girl? She needs to learn to train herself as a ninja, Sasuke and Naruto too." He crawled into his makeshift sleeping bag and turned over, "I'm getting too old for this."  
  
As always, Iruka chose to ignore him and got up to turn off the nights, "Good-night."  
  
Iruka was sound asleep when he heard someone whispering his name. "Iruka- sensei, Iruka-sensei... are you awake?"  
  
"Mmm... Naruto?"  
  
Iruka checked on Sakura before following Naruto out of the woods. He didn't want to leave Sakura all by herself but it seemed safe enough and he knew Naruto would not let up on this. "It's not fair! Kakashi-sensei is playing favorites again!" Naruto was seething away, "What's so special about Sasuke anyway? I mean, wasn't he the reason we lost our fellow ninjas?"  
  
"Naruto!" Iruka had had enough, "I've always believed in you and what you are capable of. I believe in your dream of becoming Hokage but how can you speak ill of your teammate? I know you have your differences but now is really not the time."  
  
"Hmm?" Naruto stopped in his tracks and turned back to look at his sensei, "Is there something you're not telling me?"  
  
Unlike the students in his class where he taught just the basics, he was now solely responsible for shaping and molding Naruto into a better ninja, now was not the time to be his friend. He could not jeopardize the mission so he couldn't tell Naruto anything. He gave his most reassuring smile to Naruto and said, "Just get along with Sasuke. Didn't Kakashi teach you guys about teamwork?"  
  
Naruto shrugged and continued on, "He's always the one that starts it."  
  
"Uh, just where are we going?" Iruka asked after they had been walking around in circles.  
  
"Shh! I found them." Naruto shushed Iruka and squatted down behind some bushes.  
  
"Funny, how is it we're able to find them if we've been walking around in circles?" Iruka muttered to himself before squatting down beside Naruto.  
  
- - -   
  
Kakashi dropped to the ground and leaned against the tree for support before digging out his Icha Icha Paradise, "What do you want Sasuke?" With one eye, he looked up at the boy who was standing in front of him, his hands were in his pockets and his eyes on the ground.  
  
"I was thinking about what you said to me back then." said Sasuke.  
  
"Oh?" said Kakashi looking quite amused at the situation. He wondered where this conversation would lead; perhaps Sasuke was finally opening up to him. He placed his book back in his vest pocket.  
  
"What did you mean when you said your hands were stained with innocent blood? What happened to your loved ones?"  
  
"Why the sudden interest?" Kakashi pushed himself off the ground and began to walk away, "What I say is for your own good but I don't really feel like sharing with you now. Besides, it's late."  
  
"Kakashi! You said you couldn't save me from going the same path as you had but you're walking away! How can I avoid that path if I don't know path you chose?" screamed Sasuke. His hands were now balled into fists and he stood in the same spot with his eyes still on the ground.  
  
"It's not that I don't want to tell you." Kakashi walked up to Sasuke and placed his hand on the boys shoulder, gripping it harder than he meant to. "It's just too painful."  
  
Sasuke brushed Kakashi's hand off, "Don't. I'm glad you won't be our sensei."  
  
Kakashi turned away from Sasuke and shoved his hands in his pockets, "I did it."  
  
"You?!" Sasuke lifted his gaze away from the ground and towards Kakashi. His mind was reeling. He wasn't sure what to make of Kakashi's confession or if it meant what he thought it did.  
  
"My hands, like yours were trained from a very young age to kill. Let's just say that in my youth, I didn't make the right decisions, I didn't listen to my sensei and I made my own decisions. Those decisions cost the lives of the ones I loved the most. I failed to do the most important thing of a ninja: to protect those that are precious to me." Kakashi took off his hitae-ate headband and shoved it in front of Sasuke's face. "Take a look at the symbol there. It represents our village. If you can't make decisions based on that then you should quit. You'll never become more powerful than Itachi. Find the power in protecting what you cherish, not through the burning hate you feel."  
  
"I... I... I can't let it go so easily. If you _do_ know how I feel, you'd know how hard it will be for me." said Sasuke.  
  
Kakashi retied his headband on, "I'm only asking you try."  
  
"Wahhh!" A voice screamed from the bushes.  
  
Neither Kakashi nor Sasuke bothered to pay any attention to their intruder. It was something that occurred often so they were pretty much immune to sudden outbursts, especially from Naruto.  
  
"I can't promise anything but I'll try."  
  
Kakashi smiled.  
  
"Kakashi-sensei, is Iruka-sensei here to replace you?"  
  
"Did you call me Sasuke?" Iruka magically appeared next to the both of them.  
  
Both men jumped a little; although they were both accustomed to unexpected outbursts from Naruto, they had not expected Iruka to appear out of thin air.  
  
"No." said Sasuke. He walked over to where Naruto was and to everyone's surprise, he reached out a hand to help him up.  
  
Naruto gave Sasuke a funny look before his took his hand. "Thanks Sasuke." said Naruto as he smiled.  
  
Iruka chuckled to himself as he watched them head back to the inn, "I wonder if hell has frozen over. I would have never expected that from Sasuke! By the way, what happened?"  
  
Kakashi took his hands out of his pockets and stared at them, "Noooooooo!"  
  
"Kakashi! What happened? Are you ok?" Iruka rushed to Kakashi's side and held him in his arms instinctively.  
  
"There's blood on these hands..." Kakashi brought his hands up and covered his face.  
  
Iruka held onto Kakashi more tightly and brought his chin to rest on his shoulder, "Shh... it's okay." He whispered into his ear.  
  
A second of silence lapsed into minutes and minutes into hours, they stayed like that till daybreak.

* * *

I wanted to make certain scenes longer but then I also prefer to be subtle when writing so the reader can pick up on things on their own rather then having me point it out... so hopefully it worked the way I wanted it to.   
  
Thank you for the previous reviews!  
  
Please continue to review so that I may grow as a writer... ah, what a far fetched dream that seems... ::sweatdrops:: 


	11. Old Wounds

Naruto placed the pen above his lip and puckered, holding it in place against the bottom of his nose. His report was due in a few days and he had yet to finish. He let the pen fall and watched as it rolled away from him. When it finally stopped, it landed onto a folder that hadn't been there yesterday. Upon opening it, he found Sasuke's handwriting inside but it wasn't a mission report.  
  
Iruka furrowed his brows together and tried his best to hide from the sun that was steadily rising. Normally, placing his arm over his eyes or burying his face by the wall would do the trick but when he scooted over, he bumped into something soft and prickly. He tried swatting the thing away from his face but it returned to its position almost immediately.  
  
"Iruka, what are you doing?"  
  
"Mnn, there's something in my face..." Iruka muttered, still seemingly asleep.  
  
"That's my hair."  
  
"Hair?"  
  
Kakashi rolled over and faced Iruka, "Thanks."  
  
Iruka made and face and huffed, "Ah, I hate the-" but stopped mid sentence when he opened his eyes to find Kakashi staring back at him. He stared back, recalling the previous night's events. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah." Kakashi rolled onto his back and closed his eyes, "Old wounds are hard to heal though."  
  
Iruka did not know what to say. He didn't consider them to be friends but he couldn't call their relationship as mere acquaintances either. What transpired last night just made things more complicated. When Kakashi broke down, he had held him in his arms on impulse. It was something his mother often did when he cried as a child so it seemed like the natural thing to do but he worried what Kakashi would think. He rolled onto his back and looked up at the sky. Iruka was glad that clouds had drifted in and the sun was no longer an issue. He breathed in deeply, finding the cold air refreshing compared to the humid weather Konoha was used to getting. He exhaled through his mouth, entranced by the vapor that formed from his breath. A wind blew past the trees and the snow that was covering the branches fell softly on them.  
  
"It's nice here." Kakashi whispered softly.  
  
Iruka glanced over, wondering if that was directed towards him or if he was talking to himself. Kakashi seemed almost at peace, much different from the night before.  
  
"Kakashi..."  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"I know it might be painful and it's hard to admit when you're hurting. But sometimes... it's okay to lift some of that burden off your shoulders if you share it with someone." The words came out before he could stop himself. Being a teacher for so long had that affect on him. If anything was bothering his students, he always encouraged them to share it with him. Even if he couldn't help them, he knew having someone to listen to them was sometimes enough.  
  
The outer corners of Kakashi's lips curved up just slightly, "I wouldn't want to lift the burden off just to make myself feel better." Kakashi turned his head away from Iruka, "Besides, if I shared it with you, wouldn't you then bear the weight of my problems as well?"  
  
"It's okay."  
  
Kakashi sighed, "Where do I even begin?" He thought about it briefly before he began, "I meant what I said yesterday when I said that there are blood on these hands." Kakashi paused, his voice constricting, "You're probably thinking that I made some mistake on a mission that cost the lives of my teammates. Oh, how I wish that were the case." He took in a deep breath, his chest sinking in as he breathed out. "Obito got in the way... and, I just didn't, I couldn't stop..."  
  
Iruka expected Kakashi to go on but when he didn't he urged him to continue, "I don't get it."  
  
Kakashi pushed himself off the ground and sat up. He placed his fingertips at the edge of his mask and slowly with each finger rolled his mask down. He promptly removed his vest and reached behind his shirt, pulling it over his head to reveal the seal on his shoulder.  
  
"Is that?" Iruka shot up and moved closer to inspect it, "Is that the same as Sasuke's?"  
  
"Let's just say Orochimaru has a knack for cultivating hate. While watching Sasuke fall into his trap, it was like I was like reliving my past. I keep wondering if Obito felt the same as I did when I couldn't do anything for Sasuke."  
  
"But why would Orochimaru target you?" Iruka eyes flickered over Kakashi's face, stopping at the hitae-ate headband that was worn over his eye, "Your eye?"  
  
"The sharingan?" Kakashi mused, laughing softly. His hand trembled as he brought it up to his forehead, "You mean this?" he asked, yanking the headband off. He leaned toward Iruka, leaving only a few inches between the two, "This is what he gave me!" Kakashi spat out. Iruka stumbled backwards landing him in the snow, his sudden outburst startling him. He wanted to help but now it seemed that it was much more than he bargained for.  
  
"Orochimaru was ever the innovator and mad scientist of course. He implanted the sharingan in hopes that my body wouldn't reject it because of the Uchiha blood in me."  
  
"Uchiha?" exclaimed Iruka.  
  
Kakashi shrugged, "I have not idea whether that's true or not. My mother died right after I was born. I don't know my own past and I can no longer separate the lies from the truth. However, the mere fact that I'm still alive and can function it does make me wonder sometimes..."  
  
Iruka regained his composure and got up, "But if he only targeted you for experiments, then why do you have that seal?"  
  
The wind howled as it blew past them causing the snow on the ground and on the trees to swirl about, creating a momentary illusion of snowfall. "Although he started out with experiments, he knew that he would eventually accomplish his ultimate goal and then he would be able to control the bodies of those he sought after. What he sought after were those with advanced bloodlines. He wanted nothing more than to experience their power first hand."  
  
Iruka was desperately trying to absorb everything Kakashi said but his mind was spinning, "Does that mean... you, have an advanced bloodline?"  
  
"I was born in Lightning country.(1) My grandfather was once the Raikage; he was the man I had chased after for so long and when I finally caught him..." Kakashi's voice began to choke, "Nothing could stop me, not even Obito."  
  
"Stop! I'm sorry that I made you tell me all this. I... I just can't... I'm sorry."  
  
Kakashi got up and walked away, "I only told you because you said it was okay."  
  
"Ah?! Why does it stop?" Naruto shuffled the pages around but found there to be no more.  
  
"You know Naruto, patience is a virtue." Sasuke smirked as he waved around the papers in his hand.  
  
"Is that?"  
  
Sasuke nodded, "You owe me one."  
  
"But how did you, when did you?"  
  
"Remember we all went out to find Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei, but then you and Sakura got lost?"  
  
"I see..." Naruto rubbed his chin, immersed in his thoughts. "This is a side of Kakashi-sensei I never knew about."  
  
"Hnn."  
  
"Damn him! If he was so great, why didn't he teach me better?!" Naruto balled his hands into fists, crumpling Sasuke's work. "Advanced bloodline, Uchiha..." he muttered on.  
  
"Baka. You're Hokage now, what difference does it make?"  
  
Naruto smiled enthusiastically and leapt off his chair to point at Sasuke, "I got you! You finally called me Hokage!!"  
  
Sasuke could feel the corners of his mouth tugging but he covered his mouth just in time. "I didn't call you Hokage. I just said you were."  
  
"Sasuke!!" Naruto whined.

* * *

(1) In case you didn't know, (even I had to do some research on this part), Hidden Cloud village is in Lightning country.  
  
Woo! If you're reading this, thanks for continuing to read! I swear I will finish this fic and not let it just die out!!! Oh, although I said I figured out the ending, this is really far from over... because I just can't figure out how to go from where I'm at right now to how it will wrap up... I need to connect the dots...  
  
Hmm, wonder if I got sidetracked with Kakashi's past... I want to write a fic on that... but not sure... what do you guys think?  
  
THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!!! THANK YOU!! TT 


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